Device for delivering train-orders.



No. 694,453. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

.B. E. ANDRESS. I DEVICE FOR DELIVERING TRAIN ORDERS.

(Application-filed Jun. 80, 1901.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR fiwiamw,

B3 6 ii CATTORNEYSQ UNITED TATES PATENT 'FFICE.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING TRAIN-ORDERS.

SPECIFIGATIONformingpart of Letters Patent No. 694, dated- March 1902'\pplication filed January 30, 1901. Serial No. 45,341. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERT E. ANDRESS, of Port Allegany, in the county ofMcKean, in

the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inDevices for DeliveringTrain-Orders, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full,clear, and exactdescrip-v tion.

7 My invention relates to a device for delivering train orders andmessages to engineers and conductors of moving cars or trains,the objectbeing to provide a simple and practical means whereby the operator orattendant at any station along the line of a railroad may be able todeliver train orders and messages to the engineer, conductor, or othermember of the crew of a train without reducing the speed of the trainand without endangering the lives of the persons delivering andreceiving the orders or messages.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of a device for the purpose mentioned, as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention, showing the method of operating the same. Fig. 2 is anenlarged perspective view of the parts seen in Fig. l of the detachedpole and the support for the train order or message, the lower end ofthe pole being broken away. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of theadjacent ends of' the pole and message-so pportin g frame shown in theirassembled positions. Fig. 4 is an end view of the pole, showingparticularly the spring clamping-jaws. Fig. 5 is a sectional view takenon line '5 5, Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all theviews. a

It is well known that when the operator or other attendant at arailway-station is desirous of delivering a train order or message toany member of the crew he is obliged to approach very closely to thetrain and the engineer is obliged to lean or reach far out of the cab inorder to insure the safe delivery and reception of the order or message.These orders or messages are usually delivered to the engineers orconductors while the train is in motion and very often running at a high.ward the bar Z).

rate of speed, and owing to the fact that there is alwaysmore or lesspermanent structures in the vicinity of the station and in closeproximity to the track and also that frequently cars are left on sidingsnear the station the person receiving the order or message on the trainfrequently comes in contact with one of these structures or side-trackcars and is seriously injured. On the other hand, when the train ismoving at a high rate of speed the suction of air incidental to themotion of the train and also the projecting steps of the cars endangerthe lives of the operator or station attendant, particularly in winter.My invention is designed to reduce to a minimum these dangers, andpreferably consists of a rod or pole A and a clamp 13, detachablysupported at one end of the rod or pole A and adapted to receive andretain a train-order or other message.

The rod or pole A may be of any desired form or material, is preferablyformed of wood or other light material, and is provided at one end witha pair of spring-jaws a and a square or angular portion a, the oppositeend of said rod or pole beingadapted to be engaged by thestat'ionattendant or operator for holding the rod or pole in the desiredposition. The clamp B may also be of any desired form or construc- .tionfor receiving and retaining the train order or message which it may bedesired to deliver -to the engineer or other member of the train-crewand preferably consists of a bar 1), formed of wire or other suitablematerial, and a yieldingtongue or arm I), having one end secured to thebar in proximity to one of its ends and its other end movable toward andaway from the adjacent face of said bar I) in" proximity to its otherend, the free end of the arm or tongue I) being normally tensioned to-The clamp B is usually mounted upon a suitable loop or ring 0, alsoformed of wire and provided With-an arm 0 and a pair of spring-jaws c.The loop 0, arm 0, and jaws c are usually formed from a single piece ofwire, one end being suitably bent for forming the jaws c and the otherend being' bent in the form of a ring and having its extremity hooked orotherwise secured to one end of the arm (2, the jaws a forming theopposite extremity of said arm 0. The portions of the wire ring or loopadjacent to the arm o are usually bent outwardly at diverging angles forforming suitable depressions 1 and shoulders 2, which are adapted toreceive the opposite ends of the clamping-bar Z) for holding the same inits operative position. The shoulders or arms 2 preferably terminate ininwardly-convergingarms 3, one of which forms the continuation of thearms 0, the extremity of the other arm 3 being hooked upon or secured tothe adjacent ends of the armsc and 3. I

The bar I) is preferably formed of a single piece of wire having itsintermediate portion looped upon one of the arms or shoulders 2 in oneof the depressions 1, and its opposite ends are suitably bent upon orvotherwise socured to the opposite arm or shoulder 2 in the adjacentdepression 1.

As previously stated, the clamp 13 and loop 0 are adapted to besupported upon the rod or pole A in such manner as to be readilydetached therefrom by the engineer or other member of the crew who maybe assigned to receive the train order or other message from theoperator. In order to permit said clamp B, containing the train order ormessage, to be thus readily removed, a portion of the arm a is insertedbetween the spring-jaws a and the jaws c are engaged with the oppositefaces of the square portion a of the rod or pole A. In forming the jawsc I usually bend the wire in such manner as to form a suitable stop baror bars 4, which engages one of the faces of the square portions a andserves to additionally hold the clamp B and loop 0 upon the rod orpole,it being understood that the clamping-jaws a serve to hold theclamp B and loop 0 in operative position and at the same time permitsthe clamp to be readily detached from said jaws by the engineer or othermember of the crew when desired.

In the operation of my invention the train order or message is slippedor passed between the spring-arm b and the bar I), the arm 1) serving tohold the order or message in position. The jaws c are then registeredwith the opposite faces of the portion a of the pole A and the arm 0 isforced between the spring-jaws a. The operator is then enabled to standat a considerable distance from the train moving at a high rate of speedand to hold the loop in close proximity to the moving train and in suchposition that the engineer or conductor or any member of the crew mayreadily insert his arm through the loop or even catch the ring by hand,whereupon the arm 0 and the clamp B are readily detached from the pole.The message is then removed by the member of the crew receiving the sameand the clamp thrown back to the operator or in close proximity to thestation where any of the station attendants may readily recover the sameto be reused when desired. When the clamp and pole are assembled, theopen ends of the loops at and c are opposite to each other, and when thetrain is approaching the operator the bent end of the loop a is usuallyturned in the direction of the movement of the train in order that thering and clamp may be more readily detached by the person receiving theorder or message.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing, andit will be noted that considerable change may be made in the detailconstruction and arrangement of the parts of my invention withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. Therefore I do not limit myself tothe precise construction and arrangement shown and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A delivery device for train orders or othermessages comprisinga rodor pole anda message-clamp consisting of a bar and a yielding tonguedetaehably secured to the pole and provided with a hand-engaging loopunited to the opposite ends of the bar.

2. A delivery device for train orders or other messages comprising a rodor pole provided with spring-jaws, and amessage-clamp detachably held bysaid jaws and consisting of a loop having a cross-bar, and a tongue onthe bar for the purpose described.

3. A delivery device for train orders or messages comprising a rod orpole and messagereceiving support having a loop or ring for the purposedescribed, a bar having its opposite end secured to the opposite sidesof the ring or loop, and a tongue having one end secured to the bar andits other end springtensioned toward the bar.

4. A delivery device for train orders or messages comprisinga rod orpole having one end provided with spring-jaws and inserted between thejaws and a message-receiving support having one end provided withspringjaws for engaging the pole and its other end provided witha loophaving a spring-arm for holding a message.

5. A delivery device for train orders or other messages comprising a rodor pole having one end provided with yielding clampingjaws, and aringdetachably held by said jaws and having a cross-bar and spring-armtensioned toward the bar for engaging and holding the message inposition.

b. Adeliverydevice fortrain orders or messages comprising a rod or pole,spring-jaws secured to the pole, a ring or loop having an arm detachablyengaged with the jaws of the pole or rod and provided with a cross-barand a spring-arm secured at one end to the bar and having its other endtensioned toward the bar for holding the message in position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of January,1901.

BERT E. ANDRESS.

\Vitnesses O. W. OATLIN, GEo. WEBER.

IIC

